Household appliances such as washing machines, dish washers, refrigeraters, and hot water heaters often contain, circulate, dispense and otherwise use water while operating. Due to failed gaskets, worn seals, broken hoses, and plugged drain pipes, water used by such household appliances can leak or overflow onto the floor and walls surrounding the area in which the appliance is located. Such leaks and overflows can cause extensive damage to carpets, furniture, flooring, and personal possessions within the home; slow leaks can be even more serious, resulting in serious structural damage to the home itself.
The appliance that causes the most serious problems is the washing machine, and the present invention is particularly useful when used to contain leaks and overflows from a residential washing machine. Accordingly, the present invention will be discussed in detail herein in the context of a washing machine installed in a residential setting. However, the present invention may have broader application to other appliances and in other settings; the scope of the present invention should thus be determined by the claims appended hereto and not the following detailed description.
Washing machines are normally connected by hoses to hot and cold water supply pipes and a waste pipe and by electric cord to an electrical outlet. During operation, the washing machine goes through various cycles during which water from the supply pipes is channeled into a tub into which clothes are placed and soapy water is drained from the tub through the waste pipe. Due primarily to vibration of the washing machine, leaks can develop in the supply hoses and waste hose or the supply hoses can become disconnected. Further, washing machine tub seals and internal machine hoses and parts can break, rupture, and/or disconnect. Overflows can result from the waste hose becoming plugged or too much soap being placed into the tub. In any of these cases, gallons of water can be introduced into the area surrounding the washing machine in a matter of seconds.
As mentioned briefly above, the need thus exists for an assembly for containing fluid leaking or overflowing from a household appliance such as a washing machine.